Discovering the rock 'n' roll history of Indiana Beach

Jun. 12, 2011

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Today's newspaper and jconline feature an interesting project about the rock 'n' roll history of Indiana Beach.

Arts and entertainment reporter Tim Brouk spent countless hours researching the bands who performed at the Monticello amusement park's ballroom during the 1960s. Records are spotty, to say the least. Even more striking was the lack of surviving memorabilia from performances by well-known acts who played at the small venue on their way to the big time.

Brouk did track down photographs from an Aug. 12, 1966, concert by the Yardbirds. Even so, for Brouk the search at times probably felt like trying to find a guitar pick in a haystack.

As Brouk's story says, the physical evidence has largely vanished, but the memories of concert-goers survive.

Here is some additional information about Brouk's interesting investigation:

Question: You did a pretty extensive search for records of these 1960s concerts. Can you outline what research you did?

Answer: It all started with a post by Rick Knapp a few years ago on the messageboard of the LafayetteMusic League.org

He put links to his Yardbirds pictures that were posted on LedZeppelin.com

Other people mentioned The Who playing there as well.

It wasn't until this year that I discovered how consistent Indiana Beach booked stellar acts from 1940 to 1970. Just about anyone you can think of played there besides the mega acts -- Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly. Most of my leads came from people who went to shows, and then I sifted through Monticello Herald Journal articles and years of Indiana Beach newsletters, which were found in a large binder at the White County Historical Museum. Some of these dates could be verified online.

Q: What was going through your mind when you visited the ballroom and DJ booth?

A: Anyone knowing that The Who or Jefferson Airplane played in the ballroom can still picture them inside the space today. The room, like other parts of Indiana Beach, harken back to yesteryear. The furniture and equipment in there today screams '70s, '80s and '90s. But it doesn't take much imagination to see Janis Joplin wailing on that stage.

When entering the DJ booth, I felt like an archaeologist finally gaining access to an ancient Egyptian tomb. The Indiana Beach workers said that hardly anyone goes in there. Luckily one young man had a key. I was hoping to find some rolled-up posters or some old tickets. Maybe a dusty old photo album. No, there was a lot of dust as well as a bunch of old LPs and CDs that were used for teen dances decades ago. The tomb was empty.

Q: What was the most surprising thing you discovered as you researched this project?

A: I was most surprised on how on-target the booking was at Indiana Beach. Especially in the 1960s, the ballroom drew so many up-and-coming acts that would go on to superstardom in the 1970s or even a year after their performance -- The Who in 1968, for example. The Who was well-established then, but Pete Townshend and company would gain huge fame after Woodstock, a year later.

Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company was just hitting radio when she played in 1968, and seeing Frank Zappa's picture with Mothers of Invention, also in 1968, was a surprise. Both Zappa and Joplin were not mentioned by name in the newsletters.

It seemed Indiana Beach had a really good grip on the pulse of pop music. From garage acts such as Sam the Sham and the Cryan Shames to hard rock innovators Vanilla Fudge and Iron Butterfly. Even in 1961, grabbing Brenda Lee the same year she had four top-10 singles had to have been a great get 50 years ago.

Q: If there is someone out there who has memorabilia from one of these concerts, how can they contact you for a possible future story?